Engine starting mechanism



|NVENTOR\. Romeo/W /Va/fao/re Dec. 24, 1940. R. M. NARDONE ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed Feb. '15, 1959 ESE. mmm

Patented Dec. 2 4, 1940 PATENT oFFlcE 2,225,790 v ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Romeo M. Nardone, East Orange,'N. J assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind.,

a corporation of Delaware Application February 15, 1939, Serial No. 256,576

7 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) This invention relates to engine starters adapted for utilizing uid pressure, as from air precompressed into a reservoir or from an explosive cartridge, the uid pressure being operable upon a conned piston in the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel method of and means for protecting l.the starter parts from the adverse effects that.

10 might otherwise be produced by a back-nre, or premature ignition of the engine to be started.

A Another object ofthe invention is to provide additional improvements in lthe type of engine starter disclosed in my Patent No. 2,144,196

granted by the United States Patent Office on -January 17, 1939, the nature and scope of which improvements are indicated in the accompanying drawing and the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not designed as a denition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing certain parts of the assembly of, Fig. 1, but

0 on a slightly larger scale; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve assembly. l 2

With reference to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. l, the piston actuated unit is contained within a sectional housing including cylindrical parts I1 and I0, the latter having a flange I2 by which it is secured to the engine crankcase I3 as by bolts I4, the flange being conveniently of a size standardized for aircraft engine starters. The engine crankshaft, or other drive shaft (not shown) is provided with a clutchelement II engageable by the piston actuated clutch-element I5 as will be later more fully described.

end 2U, the latter being shown as Ian integral part of a splined tube 2I. Slidably tted within the cylinder I1 is a piston 23 movable with a hollow internally and helically grooved screw 24 which is externally splined as at 25, to cooperate with the internally splined tube 2I, a free sliding action being facilitated by provision of balls 21. A second screw 22 is drivably connected with the screw 24 by helical grooves or threads 29 and 30 which permit the axial travel of the piston cylinder n has a head end la and a crank 23 but cause rotation of the screw 22 because of friction reducing balls 36 inserted in the helical grooves 29 and 30. A spring 31 has one end resting against the closure plate 20 of the cylinder n, and its opposite end abuis the thrust ring 5 38 which moves forward with the piston 23.

Piston rings 39 insure against the loss of pressure as the piston moves forward, and also yieldably oppose rotation of the piston, even though twisting of spring 31 -should occasionally cause'lo ringy 38 to rotate to some extent (the said ring 38 having a running t about screw 24).

Due to the bolted split clamp connection 4I between the cylinder I1jand the body flange I6, the former may be quickly detached for remov 15 ing any fouling that may occur where'combustible cartridges are used as the source of fluid pressure to move the piston 23. A

By reason of the action of spring-pressed balls 58 upon recess 59 in sleeve 22, the initial axial 20 movement of the piston 23 will be transmitted to said sleeve 22, and the resultant axial thrust will be yieldably imparted to clutch jaw I5 through a compressible spring 62 mounted on a rod 63 having at its outer end a nut 34 pcrmit- 25 ting adjustment of the action of spring 62. Upon resistance to axial travel (as by collision of the tooth corners) spring 62 will permit the continued advance of sleeve 22 under the urge of the balls 58 thereupon. Meanwhile bthe action `80 of the threads 29, 30 will produce suicient rotation of sleeve 22 and hence of clutch jaw I5, splined thereto, to relieve the condition of corner tooth contact, whereupon spring 62 becomes effective to complete the meshing (engaging) .3l action. Duringthis operation toroidal spring 1I exerts a radially directed pressure, through leather sealing gasket 12, upon the jaw I5, pr'oducing a friction which prevents too rapid rotation of the member I5 prior to complete meshing, and4 hence tends to accelerate complete meshing, as well as to insure a tight sealing of the unit against seepage of oil from the engine crankcase along the surface of the jaw I5, and

into the starting apparatus. An anti-friction l thrust bearing 32 is preferably interposed between a anged skirt or rim 34 on 'rear end of spacer 34a and an inwardly extending circular rim 33 of the cylindrical part I0. The inwardly extending rim 34h onthe forward end of spacer 50 34a takes the thrust as jaw. I5 rides into mesh with engine member II. f

For protection of the starter against backlre effects the invention includes the concept of locking the starter assembly against reverse. Il

(shown best in Fig. 2) on the periphery of the circular flange or shoulder 14 located slightly to the rear of splines 10 of the sleeve 22. The locking action further involves teeth 16 cut internally of spacer 34a, adjacent the forward rim 34b thereof, and spaced to correspond to the spacing of teeth 13; both sets of teeth (13 and 16) being chamfered at their adjacent ends to facilitate their inter-engagement as sleeve 22 moves forward at the beginning of the cranking operation. The locking action additionally involves a set of rollers 11 disposed about the periphery of rim 34 of spacer 34a, and adapted to roll freely upon the inner surface of housing III duringv the normal cranking operation, but acting as locking elements vto prevent rotation in the opposite direction in the event of'a reverse rotational impulse, such as may be caused by a back-nre, that is, a premature explosion in one of the cylinders of the engine being started. To produce such unidirectional action the rim'34 of spacer 34a is notched in the manner of the inner race of a conventional uni-directional roller clutch (see Fig. 3 of my Patent No. 2,003,456) and the rollers 11, with or without spring biasing means, are inserted in such notches, and retained in properly spaced relationship by the cage 18.

With the arrangement of parts as just described, it will be apparent that in the event of a back-fire with parts I5 vand II engaged, the

rollers 11 will hold spacer 34a from rotating in a direction opposite to the normal cranking di' rection, andthe inter-engaging teeth 13, 16 will concurrently act to prevent reverse rotation of sleeve 22 and clutch element I5. Thus both the engine and starter will be held against a reversal of rotation so long as the said two units are coupled in cranking relationship, wherefore rotation in the forward (cranking) direction will be resumed underthe .continuing impetus of the incomingpressure fluid upon piston 23. During such continued cranking operation the rollers 11 again permit free over-running of spacer 34a.

After the engine becomes sufliciently selfoperative to accelerate engine member II to a speed in excess of that of the starter, the member I5 is cammed rearwardly, and the concurrent or subsequent return stroke of piston 23 (under the impetus of the now re-expanding spring 31, the action of which is more fully described hereinafter) carries'along the members 24, 22, 63, 64 and I5 therewith, whereupon the teeth 13 are freed from the teeth 16, and the' driven screw 22 is thus made free to rotate in the reverse direction under the motion translating action of the backwardly moving driving screw 24.

The present invention also includes improved means for automatically controlling the exhaust of the fluid pressure from the cylinder upon com' pletion of each operation. This'exhaust control may be effected by providing an exhaust valve 42. adapted to cooperate with an exhaust port 43 conveniently formed in the vhousing 44, and communicating with an exhaust connection (not shown) leading to any desired point. In the case of an airplane, for example, this exhaust connection will lead to a point exteriorly of the fuselage. 'I'he valve 42 is carried by a stem 46 which is of such a length that with the piston in the positionv indicated in Figure 1, a spring 43 will bear against an enlarged head 52 on the stem 46 to hold valve 42 closed, until such time a fluid under pressure is admitted to act upon the head tation while the engine-engaging member is in portion of the valve 42, and thereby assist the spring 49 in maintaining the said exhaust valve 42 closed; but as the-piston nearly reaches the end of its forward movement, a collar 53 extending inwardly of piston 23 and surrounding the stem 46 will be brought into engagement with the head 52, and will be eifective to unseat the exhaust valve 42. The exhaust valve having been unseated in the manner described, the fingered catch 48 (Figs. l and 3) will cooperate with the internally formed circular bead'51 of valve 42` for yieldably holding said valve n open position, its maximum opening movement being likewise limited by the restraining action of the fingers of said element 48. 'I'he Vneck-portion 54 of catch 43 is externally threaded, as shown, for adjustably positionable retention in the housing 44.

'I'he piston havingY completed its operative stroke, and Ythe exhaust valve. having been opened, the piston will be urged on its return stroke by the coil spring 31. nDuring thisreturn f movement, the exhaust valve being held open, the cylinder will be effectively scavenged. Due to the action of the catch 48 the valve will remain open untilsuchv time as the piston collar 53 is brought tdbear against the valve stem 41 for again seating the valve. This insures closing movement of the valve at the time the piston has substantially completed its return movement, the closing being initiated and assisted by the action of the spring means 49 above described. There is thus provided automatically controlled: exhaust means, which exhaust means is of4 such construction as to remain open during the major portion of the return stroke of the piston so as to aid attainment of substantially complete scavenging; moreover, the streamlining' of the valve surface, as indicated at 55 (Fig. 3) `tends to accelerate the exhaust flow and thus provides an added assurance of complete scavenging.

What I claim is:

l. In an engine starter of the type in which the engine-engaging member moves axially forward 'to engine-engaging position and axially backward to the disengaged position when the engine starts, means for rotating said engine-engaging member in one direction while in engine-engaging position, said means including a driving part having splines constantly interlocked with splines on said engine-engaging member, part also having teeth disposed rearwardly of said engine-engaging member, means engageable with said teeth to lock both said driving part and said engine-engaging member against reverse roengine-engaging position, and means for shifting said part rearwardly to free said teeth from engagement by said locking means and simultaneously hold said engine-engaging member in the disengaged position.

2. In an engine starter of the type in which the engine-engaging member moves axially forward to engine-engaging position and axially backward to the disengaged position when the engine starts, means for rotating said engineengaging member in one direction while in en- A gine-engaging position, said means including a driving part having splines constantly interlocked with splinesv on said engine-engaging member, said driving part also having teeth dis posed rearwardly of saidV engine-engaging member, means engageable with said teeth to lock both said driving part and said engine-engaging member against reverse rotation while the en- 75 said driving 50 engine-engaging member in the disengaged position, said last-named means including a reciprocablescrew element telescopically connected to said driving part and constituting the actuating means therefor.

3, In an engine starter of the type in which the engine-engaging member moves axially forward to engine-engaging position and axially backward to the disengaged position when the engine starts, means for rotating said engine-engaging member in one direction while in engine-engaging position, said means including a driving part having splines constantly interlocked with splines on said engine-engaging member, said driving part also having teeth disposed rearwardly oi' said engine-engaging member, means including a unidirectional clutch assembly having its inner race engageable with said teeth to lock both said driving part and said engine-engaging memberl against reverse rotation while the engine-engaging member is in engine-engaging position, means for shifting said part rearwardly to free said teeth from engagement by the inner race of said clutch assembly, and means for securing the outer race of said clutch assembly to prevent rotation thereof in either direction.

4. In an engine starter of the type in which the engine-engaging member moves axially forward to engine-engaging position and axially backward to the disengaged position when the engine starts, means for driving said engineengaging member, said means including a driving part having limited axial as well as rotary movement, means for preventing rotation of said driving part in more than a single direction so long as said driving part is lat the forward limit 40 of its axial movement, and means for shifting 45 ward to engine-engaging position and axiallybackward to the disengagedposition when the engine' starts, means for driving said engineengaging member, said means including a driving part having limited axial as well as rotary movement, means for preventing rotation of said driving part in more than a single direction so long as said driving part is at the forward limit of its axial movement, and means for shifting said part rearwardly to free said part from the restraint of said preventing means, said means further acting to hold said engine-engaging member in the disengaged position.

6. In an-engine starter ofthe type in which the engine-engaging member ,moves axially forward to engine-engaging position and axially backward to the disengaged position `when the engine starts, means for driving said engineengaging member, said means including a" driving part having limited axial as well as rotary movement, means for preventing rotation of saiddriving part in more than a single direction so long as said driving part is at the forward limit of its axial movement, and means for shifting said part rearwardly to free said part from the restraint of said preventing means, said last-named means including a. reciprocable screw element telescopically connected to said driving part and constituting the actuating means therefor.

'1. In an engine starter of the type in which the engine-engaging member moves axially forward to engine-engaging positionA and axially backward to the disengaged position when the engine starts, means for driving said engine-engaging member, said means including a driving part having limited axial as well as rotary movement, means for Apreventing rotation of said driving part in more than Aa single direction so long as said driving part is at the forward limit of its axial movement, and means for shifting said part rearwardly to free said part from the restraint of said preventing means, said means further acting to hold said engine-engaging member in the disengaged position, said lastnamed means including a reciprocable screw element rtelescopically connected tosaid driving part actuating means therefor.

and constituting the ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

